Biochemical features of grain legume allergens in humans and animals

Peanuts and soybeans are the major legumes involved in human food allergy, although some data exist on adverse reactions to temperate legumes including pea, green bean, sweet lupin, and lentil. An increasing number of legume proteins or glycoproteins have been characterized as food allergens. Limited data tend to indicate that they are usually different from legume inhalent allergens. Cross-recognition among legume allergens is immunochemically frequent but clinically less common. A common feature to most legume allergens is their natural resistance to thermal, chemical, and in some way, proteolytic denaturation. Finally, other mammals including preruminant calves, and piglets at the time of weaning, are prone to gut immune-mediated reactions to soybean and pea proteins.